SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS COPING IN CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING PALLIATIVE CARE: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW

Ana Luísa Botelho Neiva; Laís Arantes Emrich Leão; VICTOR COSTA WICHROWSKI

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho

Título do Trabalho

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS COPING IN CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING PALLIATIVE CARE: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW

Autores

Ana Luísa Botelho Neiva
Laís Arantes Emrich Leão
VICTOR COSTA WICHROWSKI

Modalidade

Resumo

Área temática

Saúde e Espiritualidade

Data de Publicação

21/08/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/xxvii-fiamc-world-congress-for-catholic-physicians-abstract-session-688844/1510437-spirituality-and-religious-coping-in-cancer-patients-receiving-palliative-care--a-descriptive-review

ISBN

978-65-272-2684-0

Palavras-Chave

Spirituality, Religious Coping, Cancer

Resumo

Introduction: Patients with cancer, particularly in advanced stages, frequently experience psychological and spiritual distress. Spirituality has been recognized as an important dimension of patient-centered care, involving the search for meaning, purpose, and transcendence, and has been associated with mental health, quality of life, and coping with illness. In this context, religious coping refers to behavioral and cognitive strategies based on religious beliefs, which may be positive, when associated with spiritual support and meaning-making, or negative, when related to spiritual conflict, feelings of punishment, or abandonment. Objective: To describe the role of spirituality and religious coping in the experience of cancer, particularly in patients receiving palliative care. Methods: A descriptive review was conducted using selected publications from biomedical databases, including PubMed, focusing on studies published in English between 2022 and 2024. Articles were identified using terms related to spirituality, religiosity, and religious coping in cancer and palliative care. Observational studies employing validated instruments for assessing religiosity and spiritual coping were prioritized. Results: The reviewed studies consistently indicate that positive religious coping is associated with better psychological adjustment and quality of life, while negative religious coping is linked to higher levels of distress, including spiritual struggle and depressive symptoms. In palliative care settings, patients may exhibit increased levels of negative religious coping compared to non-palliative populations, alongside reduced use of positive coping strategies. Additionally, engagement in spiritual or religious practices appears to be associated with improved mental health outcomes and, in some studies, lower mortality. Conclusion: Spirituality represents a relevant dimension in the experience of cancer, particularly in palliative care. Positive religious coping is associated with improved emotional adaptation, whereas negative coping may contribute to greater spiritual and psychological suffering. These findings reinforce the importance of integrating spiritual assessment and support into oncological and palliative care to promote more comprehensive and patient-centered approaches.

Título do Evento: XXVII FIAMC World Congress for Catholic Physicians - ABSTRACT SESSION
Cidade do Evento: Brasília
Título dos Anais do Evento: Proceedings of the XXVII FIAMC World Congress of Catholic Physicians and VI Brazilian Congress of Catholic Physicians
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital

Como citar

NEIVA, Ana Luísa Botelho; LEÃO, Laís Arantes Emrich; WICHROWSKI, VICTOR COSTA. SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS COPING IN CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING PALLIATIVE CARE: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW.. In: Proceedings of the XXVII FIAMC World Congress of Catholic Physicians and VI Brazilian Congress of Catholic Physicians. Anais...Brasília(DF) Casa Dom Luciano, 2026. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/xxvii-fiamc-world-congress-for-catholic-physicians-abstract-session-688844/1510437-SPIRITUALITY-AND-RELIGIOUS-COPING-IN-CANCER-PATIENTS-RECEIVING-PALLIATIVE-CARE--A-DESCRIPTIVE-REVIEW. Acesso em: 11/09/2026